Bay Area Sea Lions
Bay Area Sea Lions On December 3, 2010, the entire Bay Area was in mourning. That day, the A11FL's Tampa Bay Storm played their last game vs the Minnesota Vikings. They lost 31-13, which only reminded fans why the team was being sold. The next day, fans watched as the team bus left Tampa for the last time. Orlando and Miami were Florida's only teams. But how could this happen? In 2005, the Tampa Bay Storm were voted the 5th most popular franchise in the A11FL. It started on June 17, 2005, when a level 4.4 earthquake rocked the Bay Area. It killed 8 people and injured 52. But the earthquake did enough damage to destroy 3/4 on Bainbridge Stadium, as well as doing signiicant damage to Raymond James Stadium, home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That year, Tampa Bay began playing in Baltimore, due to the fact that they had a completely unused stadium. Baltimore fans welcomed the team, and treated them as their own, selling out all but 3 home games over the next 3 years. Meanwhile, back in Tampa, securing the funds necessary to repair Bainbridge Stadium in the wake of an earthquake proved to be a challenge for Tampa GM Bill Knox. While the owner oversaw things in Baltimore, he was left with the task of securing funds. Finally, in July of 2009, Tampa had repaired everything but Bainbridge. Unfortunately, by that time, Baltimore wanted to own'' Tampa, and began litigations with Bill Irsay about relocating to stay in Baltimore. Everyone in Tampa brushed it off, thinking Irsay would'' ''never relocate. '''They were dead wrong. Stadium repairs stalled, waiting to see how this played out. On August 13, 2009, they got their answer. Bill Irsay had sold the team to Baltimore native Gary Villanueva, who announced that Tampa was staying in Baltimore, to become the Bruins. Outrage quickly spread, as all of Florida was in shock. Over the next year, shock turned to sadness. Sales plummeted. By the end of 2010, Irsay was glad to go. For two years, the city was left sore and sad. That all changed in 2012. A poll for a new league was released, testing for potential cities. Excited at the opportunity, the entire Bay Area voted yes, to an astonishing 96% of approval, good enough for #2. Not surprisingly, in late August of 2012, it was announced that the entire Bay Area would get a team. Another poll was released, this one to name the team and list a desired location. The name Sea Lions won by a pretty big margin. As for the stadium, fans chose Tampa to host the stadium, Bainbridge 2012 Stadium. Three years later, the Bay Area is back. Despite losing 38-10 in the BFL Inaugural Game, Tampa went 9-6 in 2015. Tampa enjoyed mild success over the next three seasons, posting records good enough to stay in DI. But modest living soon came to a close in 2019, when it was announced that the Bay Area Sea Lions had reached an agreement on a two-year contract with All-American DB Andre O' Neal from Nebraska. The Sea Lions, since signing Andre O' Neal, have not finished outside the Top 3 in DI entering the 2022 season. *C*': Andre O' Neal, DB '''Age: '''24 '''Yrs in the NLF: '''3 '''Awards: 2x Division I All-Star (2020 & 2021)' '''Bio: '''Andre O' Neal is a stud, plain and simple. Standing at 6'3, 200 pounds, with a 48' vertical jump and a 4.27 40-yard dash time alone sets him apart from most of the others at CB or Safety, which he plays on occasion. But he's also an All-Star person off the gridiron. From privately sending money to his adopted brother in Haiti, to giving 45% of his rookie contract to a needy family in his hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts, to even today, where he averages 10 donated hours a week working in a soup kitchen in downtown Tampa, he's the guy Bay Area's fallen in love with. As far as the field, he's also got no shortage of big plays. In his first three seasons, he's recorded 217 tackles, 16 INTs, and set a single-season record in 2021 with 23 deflected passes, as well as qualifying for two consecutive All-Star games. It truly is remarkable how much he has accomplished given his entrance into the league. One of many young athletes blacklisted due to involvement in the The GoJersey Scandal, Andre O' Neal went from a highly sought after defensive stud to a fizzled out hybrid CB by the time the Bay Area Sea Lions gave him a two year contract. But he was determined to prove that the scandal shouldn't have defined him. Since joining the Sea Lions, he has worked tirelessly to improve his craft, which has garnered him the same level of respect and admiration that made him so valuable just a year and half prior. And just a year into his 6 yr, $96M extension, it doesn't look like O' Neal has any plans of leaving the Bay Area, or Division I. Entering his 4th season, Andre O' Neal says Bay Area is ready to make the jump. Only time will tell if defense '''really does '''win championships. '''Strengths: '''Andre currently sits as one of the fastest men in the league. Possesses insane leaping ability to match his startling athleticism and above average build. A natural ball hawk, he excels at snatching the ball out of the air, but isn't afraid to deflect the ball away from his receiver if he can't intercept it. Above average man and zone coverage skills make him a serious problem for opposing QBs. Versatile enough to play Safety as well as return kickoffs and punts, as well as previously taking snaps at WR for the Sea Lions, with consistent results. '''Weaknesses: '''Could stand to improve his overall field vision. Not a sound tackler, known for having a bad habit of prematurely releasing his grip before completing the tackle. Not good at shedding or getting off of blocks. While willing to deflect passes, he's notorious for batting passes further in the air, in an attempt to go get the ball, providing receivers a second chance at making the catch. Known by fans and teammates alike to be rather shy around the media.